Recent Fact Sheets

At this time of year, broad leaf weeds or flat weeds in lawns can be a real nuisance. Many years ago, when I was living in London, my grandfather came up with a secret lawn sand recipe. It’s simple, cheap, effective and safe to use.

Buy the ingredients for Grandad's lawn sand at any hardware store or garden centre. The ingredients include: dry washed sand, sulphate of potash and iron sulphate. Use a plastic bucket and a plastic measuring container because these can be washed after use. Simply mix the ingredients in equal proportions. So put in one cup of washed sand, one cup of sulphate of potash or sulphate of ammonia and one cup of the iron sulphate, and mix these up immediately.

It's important to use exactly what you make because it doesn't store well. If it soaks up any humidity, it will become rock solid. Also wear gloves because the iron sulphate can make your hands rusty.

Grandad's lawn sand is fantastic for controlling a variety of weeds in the lawn. It's especially good for attacking cudweed, bindii, white clover, cats ear and plantain. Sprinkle by hand aiming directly at the weeds. There's no need to cover the entire lawn. It's best to apply just before sunset so that dew fall will activate the mix, or lightly sprinkle the treated weeds to damp them down to start the process. To control all weeds repeat this operation every other week.

Remember lawn sand won't kill narrow leaf weeds like onion weed or winter grass, or waxy leaf weeds like some types of oxalis. If the mix comes in contact with flowers or footpaths, wash it off with water immediately. Keep a watering can nearby when applying.

If pets or children want to use the garden, water the lawn sand in the following morning. As soon as it's dry, it's safe for them to go into the garden. Iron sulphate can stain clothes and skin, so always wash hands after use. The sulphate of ammonia is basically a nitrogen fertiliser and the iron sulphate is a tonic that provides iron to plants. Both are chemical fertilisers that in this case are used as herbicides.

The objective is to complete the task in mid-winter, particularly in eastern and southern Australia. This prevents the weeds setting seed and starting another generation. The end result to aim for is a lush, thick sward of grass that helps to suppress weeds.